Technological Capability Assessment and Model Development in Research and Development Center (The Case of Manufacturing Technology and Engineering Industries Research and Development Center in Ethiopia)
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2023-08
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The technological capability assessment of research and development is of utmost important to improve competitiveness. This study aims to develop a model to technological capability assessment for Research and Development and assess technological capability of Manufacturing Technology and Engineering Industries Research and Development Center. In this paper a hybrid methodology based on two approaches, the Likert scale (LS) and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used. The AHP methodology was used to prioritize the set of criteria and sub criteria as a support for decision-making in the process of technological capability assessment, while the LS method was used to measure the level of consensus on particular themes. The results showed that the most relevant criteria were the technology base with 50.74%. Next were innovation (24.11%), cooperation (13.29%), technology diffusion (6.41%) and technical service (5.43%). Technology diffusion was the highest score of technological capability with 88.25% followed by technical service with 79% the average score of capability. The weakest technological capability dimension is cooperation with 35% the average score of capability followed by technology base with 43% the average score of capability and innovation with 44% the average score of capability. Conducting R&D activities is MTEIRDC's primary goal. However, there were no tangible results obtained so far. Hence, this research finding can be applied to enhance decision-making for improving technological capability of Manufacturing Technology and Engineering Industries Research and Development Center. By rationally combining the two methodologies, decision-makers can identify the aspects of a technological capability that are characterized by a weakest dimension (as revealed by the LS) and a higher priority degree (as revealed by the AHP), potentially pointing to important steps that can be taken to improve the technological capability.
Description
Keywords
Technological capabilities, Research and Development, Technological capabilities assessment model